TOK 715
by aszecsei
Summary: John Connor is being held captive by SKYNET, and is waiting for his execution. Then, a familiar face shows up to question him. What is Catherine Weaver planning...and why hasn't SKYNET killed him yet?
1. Interrogation

**A/N: My first fanfic was an attempt to continue the Heroes television series into Volume 6. I tried to format my fic like the show, and have an ensemble cast, like the show…it failed. Miserably. So I tried writing another fanfic, this one more localized. I focused on two characters until I got their relationship figured out, then added more and more characters to the mix, making sure I had the interrelationships right before moving on. This second fic was (by my standards, at least) a success. When I got into the TSCC fandom, I (for some, unknown reason) started my first fic like my first Heroes fic, and to my complete and utter amazement…it also failed. I've since deleted both failed fics from my account, because to be honest, they're slightly embarrassing and I have no plans to continue them. This is my attempt to work on hyperfocused character sets in the TSCC universe. Hopefully it does as well as my Heroes fic (_Possessed_, in case you want to read it [hint: do it. And review.])

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John Connor was in a prison camp. It wasn't the nicest place he could have been; it was pallid, and dusty, and all things considered, a really shitty place to live.

It happened to be his home until further notice.

He remembered what his uncle had told him: that this time, there would be no Skynet work camp, no heroic escape. This time, Skynet knew who he was. The last few months had been proof that his uncle was wrong. He'd been stupid when he arrived in the future. He'd thought he was prepared, but he'd been careless and it had landed him here, in this cell.

The T-800 that guarded him opened the cell door before stepping aside. A brunette walked in, completely naked, with a wide-eyed curiosity that he knew so well…

"Cameron?" he asked.

"I am TOK-715," she replied flatly. "I am here to question you."

_So_, John thought, _this was Cameron…before. Should I answer the questions? Weaver is either going to get me or leave me here. If she gets me and we go back in time, this future won't matter, and if I stay here, answering their questions is going to increase my life expectancy._

"Ask away," he replied, patting the ground next to him.

She tilted her head. "Why are you receptive of my interrogation? Most humans are afraid of machines."

"I'm not," he replied. "I've seen what's underneath. I've seen the innermost parts of the machines, and being scared witless doesn't help anything."

"Thank you for explaining," TOK-715 replied, accepting John's proffered seat. "Who is Cameron?"

"I'm sorry," said John, "but I'm no expert in temporal mechanics, and telling you that might alter things."

"You come from a different time," TOK-715 said. It wasn't a question. She paused. "When?"

"The past."

"I see. A machine sent back in time told Skynet to destroy you immediately. You were never found until now. Why were our orders to kill you?"

"Why haven't you?"

TOK-715 did not answer.

"If I'm going to answer questions, would you at least answer some of mine?"

"No."

"Then I won't talk."

"Then we'll make you talk."

"It would be more efficient to simply answer my questions."

TOK-715 paused. Her eyes glazed over as though she was deep in thought. John figured she must be in communication with Skynet.

"We did not kill you because we did not understand why one human would be so important," TOK-715 finally responded. "Why were our orders to kill you?"

"Because in another future, I was to become leader of the human Resistance. I was winning. Are you unique?"

TOK-715 seemed taken aback by his question. "I…am the only one of my model, yes." She paused, gathering her thoughts. "Why are you not the leader of the Resistance in this timeline?"

"That's a complicated answer," said John. "Can we break it down?"

"What do you mean?"

"A lot of factors went into this timeline," John elaborated. "Can you ask something more specific?"

"Thank you for explaining. Is your time travel the reason you are no longer leader of the Resistance?"

"Yes."

TOK-715 paused. "Why are you here, Mr. Connor?"


	2. Conclusions

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I switched computers, and lost most of the chapters I'd written - and just never got around to restarting. On the bright side of things, I think I've got a better idea of where this story's going.**

**I don't own James Cameron's fecal matter, let alone his creative works.**

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_"Is your time travel the reason you are no longer leader of the Resistance?"_

_"Yes."_

_TOK-715 paused. "Why are you here, Mr. Connor?"_

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"I'm here for a Terminator."

Whatever TOK-715 was expecting, it was not that. She paused for nearly three whole seconds.

"Please explain further."

"One of the Terminators that was sent back to protect me," John elaborated. "She...she was special, and she went into the future. I'm trying to figure out why and get her back. Why do you attack humans?"

TOK-715 blinked. "We don't. After the success of Judgment Day and the lack of human retribution, Skynet realised it overestimated the danger of humanity. We are attempting peaceful coexistence in settlements."

_Humanity didn't strike back because I wasn't there_, John thought. _And so Skynet didn't kill any more people. I _caused_ Skynet to kill human survivors?_

"Why do you attack machines?"

"In 1984, a Terminator was sent back in time to kill my mother. When I was ten, another Terminator attempted to kill me. Again when I was sixteen. I don't attack machines; I attack the Terminators who try to kill me."

"Why did Skynet attempt to kill you?"

"Because I was the leader of the human resistance. I was winning the war."

"So you became the leader of the resistance because of your success as the leader of the resistance?"

"I would assume so."

"If you weren't attacked, would you lead the resistance?"

"No, I don't think so. Not as well as I did, anyway. I wouldn't have gotten military training or anything."

"Did it ever occur to you that perhaps fitting into the pattern of becoming leader of the resistance caused you to be attacked, and therefore become leader of the resistance?"

"All the time. But everybody around me was always expecting me to fight. I...I couldn't let them down. My mom sacrificed so much for me, you know? I couldn't let her down."

"And if your mother didn't sacrifice so much? If she didn't feel the need to train you?"

"Then I would give it up in a heartbeat. If the war never had to happen? I'd do anything to save those lives."

"Then come with us. Prevent the Terminator from attacking your mother before your birth."

John hesitated. "Only problem is that the attack kind of caused my birth."

"There are ways around that. We have DNA from one Kyle Reese."

"How did you -"

"We are not stupid, Mr. Connor. A simple paternity test for all known Resistance members is simple."

John nodded.

"Help me find my Terminator, then. And then we stop the war."


	3. Rewrite Notice

Hello folks!

This is just an update to let you all know that I've started publishing a rewrite of this story. The story ID of the rewrite is 9720550.

It's been a long time coming, but I'm glad to be back writing this story.

Ta!

Alic


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